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Day1.YANGON (arrival with morning flight)
YANGON-HEHO-INLE LAKE (by afternoon flight)
Upon arrival at Yangon International Airport, welcome by our
tour guide and starts with sightseeing of Yangon: Sule pagoda,
dating back over 2000 years, the Mahabandoola Park with its
Independence Monument and walk around the downtown area and
the sprawling Scott market. Wide streets, orderly town planning
and neglected public buildings revive visions of British rule;
while busy streets scenes and shimmering pagodas, bursting through
a leafy canopy, hint at the rich local culture. Skyscrapers
and glaring neon billboards have yet to overtake the capital.
In the afternoon, transfer to airport for the flight to Heho
in Shan State. Upon arrival, drive to Nyaung Shwe: a gateway
town to the northern bank of Inle Lake (the blue sea in Shan
State). Take a long-tailed motorboat and enjoy the sunset form
the middle of the Lake with floating boat and transfer to your
hotel for check in and overnight.
Day2.INLE LAKE-HEHO-MANDALAY (by afternoon flight)
Early morning take a boat for the excursion on Inle Lake(22
km long and 11 km wide) famous for its unique one-leg rowers,
typical floating gardens, local methods of fishing and village
life. Sightseeing includes: Nga Phae Chaung (one of the oldest
monastery around Inle Lake), the cheroot making industry, blacksmith
and the silk weaving village of In Paw Khon. Continue visit
to Phaung Daw Oo pagoda housing five sacred and almost shapeless
Buddha images because of the quantity of applied gold leaf,
gifts from the believers.
In the afternoon come back to Nyaung Shwe and transfer to Heho
airport (1 hour drive) and fly to Mandalay: the city of last
Myanmar Kings. Upon arrival transfer to your hotel for check
in and overnight.
Day3.MANDALAY-AMARAPURA-MANDALAY
After breakfast, proceed to Amarapura to Amarapura (the city
of Immortal); visit the Mahagandayon monastery; famous for Buddhist
learning centre. It is home to a thousand monks, who will from
a procession as they to take their noon and final meal of the
day. Amarapura was the capital of upper Burma until 1850.
As it was the custom, most of the important wooden palaces and
monasteries were taken down and transported to the new capital
in Mandalay. Apart from pagodas that have survived, the ancient
art of silk and cotton weaving, using handlooms is very much
alive and visit U Bein wooden bridge, over 150 years old, which
is still in use.
In the afternoon drive to Mandalay. Mandalay was the last capital
of Myanmar before the British took over and it still remains
as a cultural centre. You can visit gold leaf making industry,
tapestry, wood carving, bronze making, marble stone carving
and famous Maha Muni Image now covered in thick layer of gold
leaves and you will see how pious the Myanmar people are?
And visit the Shwenandaw Golden Palace monastery noted for its
exquisite wood carving, Kuthodaw pagoda with 729 stone tablets
(known as the World's Biggest Book) and finally drive up to
Mandalay hill (Anti-ageing hill) and take a panoramic view of
Mandalay city. Overnight at Hotel.
Day4.MANDALAY-RV PANDAW
After breakfast, visit the downtown area and famous Zegyo market,
designed in 1903 by Count Caldari, the picturesque open air
market at the west of Zegyo market. And visit Shwe Inn Bin monastery;
one of the surviving wooden monastery in Mandalay and transfer
to Gaw Wein jetty and board the RV-Pandaw. RV-Pandaw is the
historical vessel which was built in Scotland in 1947 for the
shallow conditions of Ayeyarwaddy River. The company restored
in teak and brass an original colonial river steamer called
the RV Pandaw. The Pandaw Concept, as it became known, offered
a new travel experience quite unlike other forms of travel:
combining an expedition atmosphere with an elegant base afloat.
But what made the Pandaw style unique was the ability of these
shallow draft ships to penetrate and explore remote areas of
the country and enable real cultural exchange between the traveler
and the inhabitants of the great river valleys of Myanmar.
Depart form Mandalay and cruise all day. Dinner and overnight
on board.
Day5.RV PANDAW-YANDABO-PAKOKKU-BAGAN
In the morning, you will arrive at Pakokku, a port city just
south of Confluence of two great rivers (Chindwin and Ayeyarwaddy).
Here you will find workshops making anything from sandals to
cheroots. You will arrive at Bagan at 11:00 am. Upon arrival
visit Bagan; sightseeing includes with a diverse section of
the most important pagodas and temples, such as Shwezigon pagoda,
built by King Anawrahta in the early 11th Century, Htilominlo
temple; noted for its plaster carvings; Ananda temple with four
huge standing Buddha images and numerous seated figures and
niches around the galleried interior. Enjoy the sunset of Bagan
from the terraces of Shwe Sandaw pagoda. Overnight at hotel.
Day6.BAGAN
After breakfast, sightseeing starts with Nyaung Oo colorful
local market. Verities of local products includes; lacquer ware,
wood carvings, palm sugar, long and short sleeves shirts for
men and ladies. Sightseeing continues to Minnanthu village and
visit 13th A.D style pagodas and sees the daily activities of
local people at Pwa-saw village. Visit Lawkananda pagoda and
Ashae-Pet-leik and Anauk-Pet-leik Pagadas. In the afternoon,
visit the lacquer-ware factory, Sulamani temple, Dhamayangyi
temple and enjoy the sunset of Bagan. Overnight at Hotel.
Day7.BAGAN-YANGON
Take a morning flight to Yangon. Upon arrival, transfer to your
hotel and check into your room. Yangon sightseeing starts with
Mawtin jetty and take a rickshaws for a short trip along the
Yangon River, visit China Town area with various local foods,
Indian ward with various street sellers and the splendid National
Museum, including the gem-studded royal regalia and the Lion
Throne of King Mindon and King Thibaw, the last kings if the
Myanmar Kingdom. Take a break at hotel.
In the afternoon, visit the famous world renowned The Great
Shwedagon pagoda described by Somerset Maugham: "The Shwedagon
rose superb, glistening with its gold, like a sudden hope in
the dark night of the soul of which the mystics write, glistening
against the fog and smoke of the thriving city". This massive
bell-shaped stupa rises nearly 100 meters above its hill-top
surroundings. Wander through this magnificent structure and
its courtyards, stupa, bells, temples and Buddha images and
see religious and secular visitors from all parts of the globe.
Shwedagon has become the symbol of Myanmar. Enjoy your sunset
from the pagoda platform. Overnight at hotel.
Day8.YANGON (departure with morning flight)
The tour ends with breakfast and transfer to Yangon International
airport.
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